How Does Chad Henne Stack Up With His Peers?

A 7-3 record as a first time starter for the Miami Dolphins is nothing to downplay. That's serious stuff, which makes me wonder if Chad Henne's primed to be a serious quarterback.

When I say serious I'm talking about a perennial Pro Bowler, an MVP candidate, a Miami Dolphins quarterback who leads his team to the post season annually.

That's the bar that's been set by former Dolphins legend Dan Marino, and what South Florida's been seeking for the past decade. Chad Pennington was a nice appetizer, but it'd be nice to have someone to build the franchise around for the next decade, and right now we're learning if Henne's still that player.

There's no way to predict that right now, but comparing his numbers to his peers, his quarterback contemporaries in their first 10 starts, might provide some hints.

Here's a look at the quarterbacks from the past two drafts and how they've performed in their first 10 starts.

2008 Draft Class

Dolphins' Chad Henne - Record 7-3

184-of-311 (59.1 percent completion) for 1975 yards, nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, 19 sacks, one rushing touchdown, three fumbles (none lost). 74.9 quarterback rating in his first season as a starter (three games to go)

Atlanta's Matt Ryan - Record 6-4

169-of-283 (59.7 percent completion) for 2,159 yards, 11 touchdowns, six interceptions, 12 sacks, zero rushing touchdowns, two fumbles (one lost). 87.7 quarterback rating in his first full season as a starter.

Baltimore's Joe Flacco - Record 6-4

171-of-276 (61.9 percent completion) for 1,813 yards, eight touchdowns, nine interceptions, 18 sacks, two rushing touchdowns, six fumbles (one lost). 80.3 quarterback rating in his first full season as a starter.

First, that the Dolphins were pretty accurate when they concluded Henne's draft grade wasn't that far off that of Ryan and Flacco, and that selecting him with Jake Long was a better long term solution because it allowed the team to address two critical needs in one draft.

We never really knew FOR SURE if this was a wise move until now, and it appears to be genius.

Second, despite what we think about the weaponry around Henne, considering his winning percentage is the best of his peers, and his statistical numbers are in the same neighborhood, we must conclude he's got a decent supporting cast.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Henne gains more experience, and the talent around him improves?

In your opinion, based on the early results, what do you think Henne's upside is?